History Literature / Scaramouche

This novel was adapted for film twice, in [[Film/Scaramouche1923 1923]] and [[Film/{{Scaramouche}} 1952]]. Much like other Sabatini novels like ''Literature/CaptainBloodHisOdyssey'' and ''Literature/TheSeaHawk'', it lost something in the translation. The 1952 film ''does'', however, feature one of the most epic [[{{Flynning}} sword fights]] ever committed to celluloid, clocking in at eight minutes of combat that reportedly required eight weeks of preparation and training to film.

The novel is available on public domain and can be read [[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Scaramouche here]].

This novel was adapted for film twice, in [[Film/Scaramouche1923 1923]] and [[Film/{{Scaramouche}} 1952]]. Much like other Sabatini novels like ''Film/CaptainBlood'' and ''Film/TheSeaHawk'', it lost something in the translation. The 1952 film ''does'', however, feature one of the most epic [[{{Flynning}} sword fights]] ever committed to celluloid, clocking in at eight minutes of combat that reportedly required eight weeks of preparation and training to film.

This novel was adapted for film twice. Rex Ingram directed and Ramon Novarro starred in a 1923 adaptation that was produced by Metro Pictures shortly before Metro merged into Creator/{{MGM}}. There was also a 1952 film adaptation that [[Film/{{Scaramouche}} has its own page on TV Tropes]]. Much like other Sabatini novels like ''Film/CaptainBlood'' and ''Film/TheSeaHawk'', it lost something in the translation. The 1952 film ''does'', however, feature one of the most epic [[{{Flynning}} sword fights]] ever committed to celluloid, clocking in at eight minutes of combat that reportedly required eight weeks of preparation and training to film.

!!The book and/or the 1923 movie provide examples of:

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The film manages to convey with nothing but pantomime that the Marquis has fathered a baby with a local village wench.

* GorgeousPeriodDress: The 1923 film did not stint on this. Lots and lots of fancy dresses and wigs used to evoke aristocratic France.

* TorchesAndPitchforks: An angry mob is going around killing aristocrats at the climax of the movie.

* HeirToTheDojo: Andre-Louis inherits M. Bertrand de Amis's fencing school when he is killed in a noble-goaded street riot.
* HeroicBastard: Andre-Louis.

* UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution: the setting of the novel.

* HighDiveEscape: The Marquis is offered this. He takes it.

* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:The Marquis is Andre-Louis's father]]. The twist remains surprising because until that moment, [[spoiler:Andre's]] parentage had not been important.

* {{Revenge}}: Andre-Louis' reason for hunting the Marquis.
* NotBloodSiblings: Andre-Louis and Aline.

* TricksterArchetype: Scaramouche.

* WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs: Andre-Louis starts as a lawyer. Over the course of the story, he becomes an actor, a playwright, a manager, a janitor, a fencing assistant, a fencing master, and finally a senator.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard The Second Estate's senators typically dispatch the rowdier, more liberal members of the Third Estate by goading them into an honor duel, then killing them, since the rich Second Estate is well versed in fencing, while the commoner Third Estate mostly cannot afford such lessons. Near the end of the story, Andre-Louis uses this very same tactic against the Second Estate's senators, having become a better fencer than any of them.

* {{Revenge}}: Andre-Louis is initially motivated by the death of his friend Vilmorin, until it gives way to grander motivations

* FamilyRelationshipSwitcheroo: Comtesse de Plougastel turns out to be Andre's mother.

* GoldDigger: Celimene briefly becomes engaged to Andre-Louis, but only because she believes he is of noble birth. Once she finds out he is actually ''adopted'', she breaks it off to become Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr's side mistress. On his side, Marquis dumps Celimene due to personal issues, leaving her with nothing. [[spoiler:Turns out, Andre-Louis actually is of noble birth, meaning she dumped him for nothing.]]

* LukeIAmYourFather: The Marquis is Andre-Louis' father. The twist remains surprising because until that moment, Andre's parentage had not been important.

* NobodyCallsMeChicken: The Marquis and much of the First Estate exploits this for all its worth, using insults to goad M. Vilmorin, and members of the Third Estate into duels, which they feel obliged by honor to accept. This ends quite badly, as the art of sword-dueling is typically only learned by nobles, leading to many a Curb-Stomp Battle.

* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: Interestingly, it happens about two-thirds of the way into the story- the acting troupe, M. Binet, and Celimine do not appear again after Andre-Louis flees them after [[spoiler:shooting Binet]]. We are informed that M. Binet and Celimine, without the rest of the troupe, stay destitute for the rest of their lives, while the other actors step up to make their own plays and comedic routines, and end up thriving without them.
* WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs: Andre-Louis starts as a lawyer. Over the course of the story, he becomes an actor, a playwright, a manager, a janitor, a fencing assistant, a fencing master, and finally a senator(who is in essence an assassin in disguise).

* BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame: Andre-Louis uses the Marquis's plan of goading Republican sympathizers into duels to legally kill them against him when he takes position in Court and starts goading First Estate nobles into duels to kill them.

* HeirToTheDojo: Andre-Louis inherits Maître en fait d'Armes's fencing school

* DramaticUnmask: Andre-Louis, in character as Scramouche, whips off his mask and delivers a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to the Marquis, who is in the audience at the theater.

* HardWorkHardlyWorks: Andre-Louis manages to become a master swordsman in a very short time through reading, soon besting his teacher, who has been training all his life in the sword but never bothered to study.

* CurbStompBattle: the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr is a skilled fencer, and knows it- he duels M. de Vilmorin, well aware Wilmorin has scarcely held a sword in his life.

* FakeRealTurn: Andre-Louis comes to believe the ideals he espouses

* JerkassHasAPoint: In the climax of Volume I, The Marquis claims that the bloody revolution sparked by master orators like Vilmorin and Moreau retroactively justifies the death of Vilmorin, and that a revolution brings nothing but bloodshed before [[FullCircleRevolution the revolutionariees become the new aristocrats.]]

* NiceToTheWaiter: Comtesse de Plougastel is nice to the coachman, which saves her life.
* NobodyCallsMeChicken: The Marquis and much of the First Estate exploits this for all its worth, using insults to goad M. Vilmorin members of the Third Estate into duels, which they are too honorable to turn down. This ends quite badly, as the art of sword-dueling is typically only learned by nobles, leading to many a Curb-Stomp Battle.
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: In the beginning, Andre-Louis doesn't believe in the ideals he's espousing, he's just using the crowds to get back at the Marquis and his ilk.

* PowderKegCrowd: Andre-Louis just keeps setting them off...

* WeWorkWellTogether: Andre-Louis to Pantaloon's troupe. It takes him about a week to take over.

* [[JerkassHasAPoint Classism Has A Point]]: In the climax of Volume I, The Marquis claims that the bloody revolution sparked by master orators like Vilmorin and Moreau retroactively justifies the death of Vilmorin, and that a revolution brings nothing but bloodshed before [[FullCircleRevolution the revolutionariees become the new aristocrats.]]
* [[spoiler: LukeIAmYourFather: The Marquis is Andre-Louis' father. The twist remains surprising because until that moment, Andre's parentage had not been important.]]

So begins Creator/RafaelSabatini's classic novel of revenge. First published in 1921, this is the story of Andre-Louis Moreau's life in UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution. After his friend is killed by a powerful noble, the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr, Andre-Louis' quest for vengeance leads him to become an orator inciting the people of France to rebel. Along the way, he becomes a renowned actor for his role as [[MeaningfulName Scaramouche]] — the sly, roguish trickster. This novel was adapted for film twice, but much like ''Film/CaptainBlood'' and ''Film/TheSeaHawk'', it lost something in the translation. The [[{{Film/Scaramouche}} second movie]] ''does'', however, feature one of the most epic [[{{Flynning}} sword fights]] ever committed to celluloid, clocking in at eight minutes of combat that reportedly required eight weeks of preparation and training to film.

!!The book provides examples of:

* ArrangedMarriage: Subverted in that M. de Kercadiou allows Aline to make her own choice as to whom she marries.

* DuelToTheDeath: Andre-Louis and several members of the Privileged Party, most notably the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr and M. de Chabrillane.
* FamilyRelationshipSwitcheroo: [[spoiler: Comtesse de Plougastel]].

* HighDiveEscape: [[spoiler: The Marquis is offered this. He takes it.]]

So begins Creator/RafaelSabatini's classic novel of revenge. First published in 1921, this is the story of Andre-Louis Moreau's life in TheFrenchRevolution. After his friend is killed by a powerful noble, the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr, Andre-Louis' quest for vengeance leads him to become an orator inciting the people of France to rebel. Along the way, he becomes a renowned actor for his role as [[MeaningfulName Scaramouche]] — the sly, roguish trickster. This novel was adapted for film twice, but much like ''Film/CaptainBlood'' and ''Film/TheSeaHawk'', it lost something in the translation. The [[{{Film/Scaramouche}} second movie]] ''does'', however, feature one of the most epic [[{{Flynning}} sword fights]] ever committed to celluloid, clocking in at eight minutes of combat that reportedly required eight weeks of preparation and training to film.

* AristocratsAreEvil: The Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr is the main example, although, since this is the FrenchRevolution, this trope comes up a lot.

* BasedOnATrueStory: The novel takes place during the FrenchRevolution, and closely follows the events of that time, while outlining an entirely fictional plot.
* BeenThereShapedHistory: Andre-Louis is shown ''starting the FrenchRevolution''.

* FrenchRevolution: the setting of the novel.

So begins Creator/RafaelSabatini's classic novel of revenge. First published in 1921, this is the story of Andre-Louis Moreau's life in TheFrenchRevolution. After his friend is killed by a powerful noble, the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr, Andre-Louis' quest for vengeance leads him to become an orator inciting the people of France to rebel. Along the way, he becomes a renowned actor for his role as [[MeaningfulName Scaramouche]] — the sly, roguish trickster. This novel was adapted for film twice, but much like ''Film/CaptainBlood'' and ''Film/TheSeaHawk'', it lost something in the translation. The [[{{Film/Scaramouche}} second movie]] ''does'', however, feature one of the most epic [[{{Flynning}} sword fights]] ever committed to celluloid.

* BadassLonghair: Andre-Louis, justified by the fact that most men of the era wore their hair long.

* TalkingToTheDead: Andre-Louis to Phillipe Vilmorin before the duel with the Marquis.

* BeenThereSHapedHistory: Andre-Louis is shown ''starting the FrenchRevolution''.

* HairOfGold

* TheGump: Andre-Louis is shown ''starting the FrenchRevolution''.

So begins Creator/RafaelSabatini's classic novel of revenge. First published in 1921, this is the story of Andre-Louis Moreau's life in TheFrenchRevolution. After his friend is killed by a powerful noble, the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr, Andre-Louis' quest for vengeance leads him to become an orator inciting the people of France to rebel. Along the way, he becomes a renowned actor for his role as [[MeaningfulName Scaramouche]] — the sly, roguish trickster. This novel was adapted for film twice, but much like ''CaptainBlood'' and ''Film/TheSeaHawk'', it lost something in the translation. The [[{{Film/Scaramouche}} second movie]] ''does'', however, feature one of the most epic [[{{Flynning}} sword fights]] ever committed to celluloid.

So begins RafaelSabatini's classic novel of revenge. First published in 1921, this is the story of Andre-Louis Moreau's life in TheFrenchRevolution. After his friend is killed by a powerful noble, the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr, Andre-Louis' quest for vengeance leads him to become an orator inciting the people of France to rebel. Along the way, he becomes a renowned actor for his role as [[MeaningfulName Scaramouche]] — the sly, roguish trickster. This novel was adapted for film twice, but much like ''CaptainBlood'' and ''Film/TheSeaHawk'', it lost something in the translation. The [[{{Film/Scaramouche}} second movie]] ''does'', however, feature one of the most epic [[{{Flynning}} sword fights]] ever committed to celluloid.